Aoun: An Israeli Withdrawal Would Enable Lebanon to End Armed Presence
President Joseph Aoun told a delegation of French and European parliamentarians that Lebanon is always looking for effective support from the European Union across various sectors, particularly assistance to the army, security institutions, and the economic situation. He said this support should reflect Lebanon’s importance to European countries and its continued role in helping prevent the flow of Syrian refugees into Europe since the start of the crisis in Syria in 2011.
He added that “collective EU support under the supervision of the European Union would be more effective, especially if member states distribute their efforts across Lebanon’s various needs.”
Aoun also said that “an Israeli withdrawal would allow Lebanon to extend its authority, end armed presence, and remove any justification for the presence of weapons outside the state’s legitimate armed forces,” stressing that “it is important to adopt a political, military, economic, and social approach to the issue of Hezbollah’s disarmament in order to preserve the country’s political, security, and social stability.”
